AMAA 2015: And The Award For The Leading Actor, Supporting Actress And Promising Actor Goes To …

APART from the leading actress and supporting actor crest and that of the promising actor which it shared with Uganda, it was Nigeria that dominated in the acting category of the just held 2015 edition of Africa’s premiere reward system for black filmmakers- Africa Movie Academy Award dubbed AMAA.

At the well attended award ceremony, which held inside the Boadwalk Event Centre, Port Elizabeth, South Africa last Saturday, Nigeria made it up the stage thrice to receive the coveted awards of the best actor in a leading role, the best supporting actress and the most promising actor crest. It was the veteran actor Sadiq Daba who got the leading actor crest. He ran over other talented actors in the continent including Tony Kgoroge, S’dumo Mtshali and Gerard Essomba, to emerge winner in that category. Nigeria’s leading actress Hilda Dokubo emerged the best supporting actress of the AMAA awards for her performance in Stigma while promising screen actress, Kemi Lala Akindoju was rightly named the joint winner of the Promising Actor category of the award that is certainly Africa’s answer to the Oscars and an award scheme that is increasingly attracting global awareness.

Kemi shared the award with Ugandan actor, Hassan Spike Isingoma who is reportedly serving a jail term in Uganda. Celebrity salutes Africa’s leading men and women in the acting genre who gave Nigeria something to cheer about at the 11th edition of the AMAA’s.

Sadiq Daba (Best actor in a leading a role- October 1)
Veteran actor and broadcaster, Sadiq Daba gasped for words and fought back tears as he his took turn to receive the coveted award of best actor in a leading role. In the wisdom of the 11 man AMAA international jury, it was on Sadiq that the crown of the leading continental actor should rest on. Indeed, the applause that greeted his declaration as Africa’s leading actor showed that the award should rightly go Sadiq who exhibited class in the portrayal of Inspector Waziri in Kunle Afolayan’s award winning movie, October 1.

As if suggesting that he has longed for such a day in his eventful career, Sadiq said: “After all the years we put into Cock Crow At Dawn and after all the efforts on Behind The Clouds, this has finnally come. I thank you AMAA and I thank my fans all over the world. When I was called upon to attend the awards, I told the organisers that it is an honour to be invited and whether I win or not, I will attend and be happy because the mere fact that I was nominated out of the over 600 entries that I was told was received, means that I am winner. I consider this one of the happiest moments of my career”.

But the veteran actor was not done. He did not leave the stage without particularly saluting Kunle Afolayan who he said searched everywhere for him and gave him the opportunity that has earned him global recognition. “Thank you Kunle Afolayan for the opportunity”, he said as he hugged Afolayan whose movie was voted best Nigerian film at the ceremony.

A veteran actor, television producer and show host, Sadiq Daba is certainly not a visitor to most homes on the continent. A talented and accomplished actor, many who saw his portrayal of the lead role of Inspector Waziri in Kunle Afolayan’s very successful film October 1 agree that Sadiq still has the acting chops, the chops he exhibited playing Bitrus in the long-rested television series, Cockcrow At Dawn. Indeed, that role (Bitrus) which he played believably and delightfully made him a household name.

A quintessential broadcaster who worked with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) for over three decades until he retired, Uncle Sadiq, as his junior colleagues simply call him, is not new to awards. He has won several in his long-standing career as an actor and broadcaster. This AMAA winning has affirmed that he is still relevant as an actor in the industry.

Hilda Dokubo (Best supporting actress- Stigma)
Leading actress, Hilda Dokubo was not in Port Elizabeth when she was named the continent’s best supporting actress. The popular actress was unavoidably absent but she followed the proceedings on social media as she quickly took to her Facebook page to thank her fans for the congratulatory messages and for their support over the years. The actress who dedicated the winning to God and the cast and crew of the movie Stigma thanked the organizers for the award and recognition.

“I thank God most of all”, she said. But Hilda’s winning didn’t come as a surprise to many. She was the actress, out of the four others that were nominated in the supporting actress category, that was most favored to win. Hilda was picked for her role in Dagogo Diminas’s Stigma and those who have seen the movie, which is still making the awards and festival rounds, gave the AMAA jury thumbs up for Hilda’s winning. They said she truly deserve to win because even among film critics, it is believed that Hilda’s portrayal of her role in the movie perhaps ranks as one of her most engaging runs in the movie in recent time.

In the estimation of critics, Hilda breathed jubilant life into the character-driven story. Hilda was steady and consistent. Her facial expressions, speech pattern and body movements were definite. A choreographer, activist and caregiver and an actress in the professional class, Hilda, a product of the theatre arts department of the University of Port Harcourt and an alumnus of the prestigious Royal College of Arts, London has maintained a steady position as one of Nigeria’s leading actresses, grabbing mostly lead roles on stage and screen. With this mention, the native of Buguma in Asaritoru Council Area of River State has confirmed her rating as a leading player in the continent.

Kemi Lala Akindoju (Most Promising Actor- Dazzling Mirage)
Stage and screen actress Kemi Lala Akindoju was in Port Elizabeth to receive her award for most promising actor. The slim built Kemi was voted joint winner in that category. She shared the award with Ugandan actor, Hassan Spike Insingoma who was unavoidably absent at the award ceremony. But Lala, as Kemi is simply called by close friends, was on ground so she walked up majestically in her yellow gown to receive the coveted crest.

Her beatific performance in Tunde Kelani’s Dazzling Mirage earned her the crest. Lala thanked the organizers for the award, the jury for the recognition and Tunde Kelani for the opportunity to strut her stuff. Off stage after she received the award, Lala described working with Kelani as professional, refreshing and rewarding. “He always aims for quality and doesn’t compromise standards at all”, Kemi said of Kelani. Lala is reputed as a self-made actress who is having a good run both on stage and screen. She recently got a chance to feature in Kunle Afolayan’s new film The CEO. With this AMAA winning, Lala has registered her name as a screen actress to watch in the continent.